Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-11
ELECTRIC MOTORS.
A Progressive Theory on the Transmits
sion of Motive PoMer.

sion of Motive Power.
EDS. RECORD UNION: Regarding the pro-
posed motive power, referred to in the
RECORD UNION for which q company is to
be organized, beg leave 10 call attention
to the Folsom water power, which should
not be overlooked. for if properly harnessed
it will produce a constant force of consider
able magnitude, which, in case of trans
mission to a city like Sacramento, will
assist in developing its resources, as well as
in building up the city by the various IN
dustries which may spring from such cheap
motive power.
In the year 1880 or 1881 you published
an article written by the undersigned, and
in the article 1t was suggested to turn the
force of water by means of turbines into
into electricity and conduct the force to
this city, to be used as motive power and
electric lighting.
As then the idea was somewhat in ad-
vance, it was looked upon as very vision
ary, but that is was feasible, time will soon
prove; in fact, it is being carried out at va
rious localities at present in the so-called
civilized world, although the distance may
be few miles less than from here to Fol
SOM.
In order to convince myself upon this
matter incidentally mentioned the SUBJ
iect, while writing to Siemens & Halske,
who first started the electric street railway
in Berlin, Germany, and who are known
to be trst-class electricians for technical
purposes. The London branch. known as
"Siemens Bros. Limited" and under the
control of the noted electrician and scien-
tist, &. William Siemens, (now deceased,
answered the letter In regard to the sub
ject matter they answered: Your sug-
gestion of utilizing the power of the Rio
Americana for working an electric railway
is possible of execution, but we think it
would be advisable to delay the realization
of such project until more experience
has been gained generally in this new mode
OF transmitting power"
This letter is in my possession yet, and
subsequently VIM. Siemens utilized water
power some distance away from his coun-
try residence, working a dynamo electric
machine to light up his garden, hot houses
and residence. In the hot houses he proved
to the world that frrit can be ripened much
earlier by the use of electric light a. night,
by which the process of ripening was but
little interrupted
Since then another advantage has been
gained, aud that is the addition of storage
batteries, which may play an important
part where light work is demanded. If the
COST produced III storing up electricity by
means OF dynamos is but nominal, water
power will produce it. Only in your yes
terday's isSne it is mentioned how street
cars are propelled by this me hod in Phila-
delphia, and have been in other cities of
Europe and America
OF course, there is great loss in the trans
mission of power but yet imperfect as the
plants are, this force offers less loss than
any other method of transferring power,
lSee Scientific Americdn supplement, page
9,4S4, May q, 1857 Progress of Electric
Railroads.
1t is possible that the future may utilize
both wave and tide force, which might
have tendency to light up many dark
nook dangerous to the mariner This
could easily be tested at the lighthouse
stations entirely surrounded by water
Storage batteries would there be of service.
If electric power be adopted here we
would have no water to dispose of which
turned the wheel. This signifies After
you have used me, lift me up again and
dump me into the river, where l belong"
Which of course means additional expenses
to the city or company that adopts this sys
tenn, if so unfortunately situated
1t is my belief that by engineering meth
ods water power can be brought some
miles nearer to this city, and after the
power has been utilized by transmission it
will still answer the purpose for irrigation,
and thereby add to the profits of the COM
pany that carries out the project. Very re-
spectfully, JOHN EITEL
Sacramento August 1887